Swarm שֶׁ֫רֶץ

We are in chapter eleven of Leviticus with our word for today. שֶׁ֫רֶץ swarm, swarmer’s, swarming things. It is used 15 times in the Old Testament, 10 times in our chapter. We find our word used as a part of the list of unclean creatures that God instructed his people at that time not to eat. A couple days ago we found in our chapter our word for today used alongside of water creatures. Leviticus 11:10 But anything in the seas or the rivers that does not have fins and scales, of the שֶׁ֣רֶץ swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. Yesterday we saw in our chapter our word for today used along with insects. Leviticus 11:20-21 All שֶׁ֣רֶץ הָע֔וֹף [literally swarming winged creatures] winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you. Yet among שֶׁ֣רֶץ הָע֔וֹף the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground … But all other שֶׁ֣רֶץ הָע֔וֹף winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you. These flying insects that swarm were not to be eaten. Our word is then used to describe swarming insects that crawl on the ground. These are also on the list not to be eaten. Leviticus 11:29-31, 41-45 And these are unclean to you בַּשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ [literally in the swarming swarmer’s] among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. These are unclean to you among all הַשָּׁ֑רֶץ that swarm … Every הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. You shall not make yourselves detestable with any הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֑ץ swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” Notice the explanation God gives for this list of creatures that are not to be eaten. YWHW brought them out of Egypt for the purpose of making them holy. And his reasoning for wanting them to be holy is because he is holy. Again this restriction was for God’s people at that time. Then God was teaching them what it meant to be separated or different from the people that they came from Egypt and different from the people whose land they were heading toward. God is still very much interested in making us holy like himself. But it is different as we have already looked at once Jesus declared all foods clean and was doing something different in and through His church. Paul reinforces Jesus instruction in this way to Timothy who was working in a new church. 1 Timothy 4:1-5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. Did you catch that? God is saying that it is not these foods or things that make one holy or unclean but rather what one uses them for. God wants us to open our hearts to him without being deceived by blaming things or others for our sin. Instead he wants us come to him with our sin and let Him forgive and transform our hearts by the power of his Spirit. I’ll close with the rest of this passage where Paul declares this instruction that things are not evil in and of themselves nor are they good but rather what people do with them. Do we use them to honor and show love to God and people in our lives. This is what makes someone a good leader. 1 Timothy 4:6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.